Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-06-08
Life in the Country.
How RICH YOUNG COUPLE ARE RUNNING
A LONG ISLAND FARM.

How RICH YOUNG COUPLE ARE RUNNING
ALONG ISLAND FARM.
Here's little picture of Long Island
domesticity, which an artist sketched few
nights ago i'll the back parler Of a Fifth
avenue house. 1t is free-hand drawing,
warranted to be true to life:
81 hadn't seen George and Marie" he
began, "for just year, SO l ran down to
the farm last week to surprise 'em and see
how crops were doing"
George and Marie, it is time to remark,
are two young people who have seen some
eighteen months of mStsimony. Georges
father is millionaire; Marie's is one three
or four times over, and the two old gentle
men played practical joke on the young
couple by persuading them to farm it down
on Long Island under certain conditions,
which i5 is not necessary to set forth here.
''The only crop found" the artist con-
tinued, "was an egg crop. got to the
farm at noon. Didn't see soul about the
house; went in the front door on tip toe;
heard noise like the beating of biscuit in
the kitchen; crept in there and found Marie,
her white arms barred to the elbow, ham,
mering away at great wad of dough with
a rolling pin. George was on his knees
poking at the fire. Ishouted, but wouldn't
shake hands-too much dough and SCOT.
''While we talked the pot boiled and the
bread baked, Marie opened the oven door
every half minute to see if the biscuit were
rising. A yellow turkey gobbler walked
into the kitchen and picked up q lump of
dough from the table. He must have stood
over three feet when he raised his head.
"'Shoo-o- - I began, but Marie slapped
her pretty, dimpled, doughy hand over my
mouth.
Dear Cousin Charles, do not mind
Dicky,' she murmured; she has come in to
lay"
"Dick come in to layv'
''The dear little woman, will you believe
me, fetched shawl from her work-basket,
and arranging it turban fashion, placed it
on the lounge-yes, lounge Think of it, a
lounge in the kitchen! And it is positive
fact that she patted that gobler on the head
and showed him the nest she had made,
and, by George, if he didn't get up on the
lounge and lay an egg in that shawl. Pll
swear to it. I'll be ha-; well, he did it,
anyhow.
'.By and by, when Marie had looked at
the biscuit for the tenth time, a hen came
in crying 'car-car-c car cart Ca car-r-r.'
Bring Elias nest, George said the
good housewife.
"George dashed away and got last sum-
mer's poke bonnet which he placed, bottom
up, on the lounge. Ella watched every
movement, and when the bonnet was ready,
in she hoped. In two minutes she got cut
of it as if snake had bitten her. What an
unearthly racket she did raise! 'Kuc-kuc-
kuc-a, kuc-kuc-kuc-a, kuc-kuc-kuc- -tekuc-
a. tekuc-kuca a'-and away she scampered.
1 looked into the bonnet and found a fresh
egg.
"Before the biscuit were we'll Drowned, a
turkey hen came in and laid her head in
Marie's lap.
"'Run, get Madge's basket, George,
DEAR
"Geerge, dear, did as he was bid, and by
the time the biscuit was done there was a
third egg laid in the kitchen. The turkeys
didn't make any fuss about it either. Marie
has one hen that positively refuses to lay
anywhere except on her and Georges bed
She hangs around the room until the bed is.
made up, when she takes her place just
where the pillows meet. When she goes
away she sings: Lay-an-egg-a-day go-ba-
foot'''
"Charles," said one of the artists audi
tors, ''are you sure the gobbler laid an egg?
don't know anything about it's being
gobbler. I'm not up in the poultry line.-
Marie said it was gobbler and George did
not correct her. And anyway the things
name is Dick. ."-Neao York Tribune.